The body representing rural doctors is pushing the Federal Government to implement recommendations of a review into retention of doctors in remote areas.

The independent Mason review, released on Friday, finds there's a need to change how regional areas are classified, to encourage doctors to set up practice in more remote areas.

The current system provides greater incentives to work in some regional towns close to major cities, than in some areas much further away.

Rural Doctors Association chief executive Jenny Johnson says there is a urgent need to reclassify regions remove anomalies and then examine how the incentive system operates.

"Further down the track, it may also be timely to consider in more detail the whole incentive structure, just to make sure that incentives are being received where they are most needed."

Professor John Humphries, from Monash University's School of Regional Health, headed a team which provided a submission to the review.

He argues that apart from financial incentives being offered to doctors to head bush, social and family needs should also be considered.

"We took into account personal factors such as educational opportunities for children and employment opportunities for spouses, because often these are highly qualified professional people and employment opportunities in the smallest remote communities are not always there."